BUZZ-OMV sells 19 oil fields in Romania to Mazarine Energy

LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - ** Austria-based oil and gas company OMV has agreed to sell to Mazarine Energy, an oil and gas production and exploration company backed by private equity fund Carlyle Group, 19 onshore oil fields in Romania for an undisclosed purchase price, the companies said in a statement.

** The transaction is expected to complete in late Q4 2016 when Mazarine Energy Romania will assume operatorship of the fields and take on over 200 staff currently employed by OMV Petrom.

** The 19 fields are part of a package which has been available for transfer since 2014 as part of field portfolio optimization. In 2015, the 19 fields had a cumulative daily production of approximately 1,000 boe/d (representing less than 1% of OMV Petrom's daily production).

** Carlyle International Energy Partners has raised a $500 million equity line for investments in oil and gas assets. (Reporting by Ron Bousso; editing by Karolin Schaps)